2. Even though the centre was closed for gatherings or indoor activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our services do not have to shut down completely. Our staff can continue to meet up with our clients and conduct small group meetings via WhatsApp and Zoom apps over the internet. Through our use of cloud storage and IT systems, we can carry on helping our clients to deal with their debts and family issues if needed. The main difficulty we experience is that most of our clients of pension age are unable to use the computer or smart phones. Secondly, our Third Pan Europe conference in July 2020 may have to be postponed to a later date.

3. Please pray for the successful delivery of our other events including our church promotions, Problem Gambling Recovery course for helpers and our Third Badminton Tournament later in the year

Love in the time of COVID 19

In China, the coronavirus has rapidly spread cross the country’s territories. During the early stage of outbreak when anti-virus materials were lacking in China, CEDAR made an allocation of approximately HK$513,000 to provide emergent relief aid in Hubei, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. Through the local networks of our Christian partners in mainland, we provided medical personnel, disinfection workers, impoverished families, as well as civil servants who were on shift duty to combat the disease, with hygienic and protective supplies.

In Hong Kong with the soaring price of masks, there were media reports at the end of January that some grassroots reutilised their remaining masks at homes after cleaning them with spirits, as they could not afford purchasing expensive masks. Some parents even reutilised their children’s masks on a regular basis. In view of the foreseeable impacts to the grassroots once the virus spreads in local community, we decided to launch a mask donation campaign, In less than two weeks after initiating the campaign, we collected thousands of masks and some disinfectant wet wipes. All of these preventative materials were sent to our partner Christian Concern for the Homeless Association distributed the donated items to the needy they serve, including the homeless and the grassroots living in cubicle apartments .